Gamma Attenuation Properties of Some Aluminum Alloys

In the present work, several commonly used aluminum alloys were investigated for their protective properties against gamma radiation. The gamma transmission technique was used to study the gamma attenuation behavior of the alloys. Cs-137 (0.662 MeV) and Co-60 (1.25 MeV) gamma radioisotope sources, which have relatively medium and high gamma energy levels, were used as gamma sources. The linear and mass attenuation coefficients of the aluminum alloys were measured. The mass attenuation coefficients of the samples were compared with the theoretical values which were calculated using XCOM computer code. The difference between the experimental and theoretical values was below 5%. In addition half-value layer (HVL) values for the studied aluminum alloys were calculated using the linear attenuation coefficients. The attenuation coefficients of the different aluminum alloys were compared. The biggest HVL was observed for 1050 alloy, for both gamma isotope sources, which means the smallest gamma attenuation capability among the studied alloys. It is concluded that the alloys were applicable for the gamma radiation shielding applications.